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Sunday, April 28, 2013

Buff Girl on a Business Trip

Let's just be honest...it's been a while! I was overwhelmed by a series of 3 quick trips in the last month, and I definitely dropped the ball on blogging. However, my recent travels have given me some new writing material for this post: how to maintain my buff-ness while traveling. I love to travel and see new places, but I must admit that I'm always ready to come back home to my regular eating and exercise routines by the end of a business trip (or even a vacation). My most recent adventures (yes, I totally call business trips "adventures") have included Washington D.C., Seattle, and Palm Springs. I'd say with each trip, I focused progressively more on weaving workouts into my travel routines. While I had a lovely business meeting in Washington D.C., my body did not appreciate the 5 hour direct flight of sitting in a middle seat nor did my body approve of the one-and-a-half days of pure sitting. In addition to all that sitting, I did my fair share of eating unhealthy food and drinks. For my next conference in Seattle and my mini relax-cation in Palm Springs, I tried to treat my body a little better. I didn't succeed on all fronts, but here are my traveling tips for staying in shape while far from home: Workout before you go!In preparation for my week of travels, I diligently worked out three days in a row prior to leaving for Seattle and Palm Springs.Hit up those hotel gyms!I ALWAYS pack my sneakers and 1 workout outfit everywhere I go; yet, there are SO many times when I fail to actually use them. However, at my Seattle conference, I vowed that I would use them at least once since they took up so much space in my carry-on luggage. My beautiful Renaissance Marriott Hotel in downtown Seattle had a penthouse gym. With views like this, I could get used to working out at hotels:

In addition to the gym, our hotel was (in)conveniently located about a mile from the Convention Center. When the rain was not ruining my life, I definitely got some good walking to and from my conference. Additionally, my hotel was located a good mile from this little gem of the city:

I can proudly say that I trekked those Seattle hills (reminded me of San Francisco) daily to see the sights. They gave my already-sore glutes a run for their money! Don't underestimate resort activities!After Seattle, I made my way to Palm Springs for a quick girl's weekend with my mom and cousin. We stayed at a resort that offered several "activities." These activities ranged from making wine charms to making sangria in mason jars to....wait for it....poolside tai chi! While we never made it to adult arts and crafts, we woke up early to catch tai chi. It definitely wasn't a very difficult workout, but I did love the instructor's focus on breathing exercises! Check out the local hiking scene!My mom is an avid hiker, and she had quite the hike in store for us atop the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Rather than sit at the pool all day as one might expect, we did a four-hour hike! Here are some of the memorable scenes of the day!

Um, yes, apparently there is snow in Palm Springs at an altitude of 9700 feet.

Amy is stoked that we finally made it to Wellman's Divide! We thought we'd never get there. I must give a shout-out to Amy's new blog, 2 Blonde Cooks and a Cookbook with her best friend/my step sister-in-law, Alex; they inspired me to post again!

Did someone say photo shoot? I'm ready for my closeup :)

Thanks, mom, for pushing us along the entire hike (despite Amy's our incessant complaining) and documenting the gorgeous scenery!

So there you have it, folks! It's totally possible to stay in shape while traveling. I'm no where near as dedicated as I'd like to be yet, but I'm trying to live up to my friend, Julie's (A Better Life with Burgers), motto of "No excuses!"

A penny for your thoughts...

What sorts of workouts do you manage to squeeze into business trips or vacations?

How do you maintain a healthy diet while eating out in restaurants every meal?